The Stone Rose
by Aria Valanch
Summary: Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. Raven Branwen visits the grave her former friend Summer Rose, after all the events that happened on Mistral. (RWBY Vol. 5)


NOTE: It's the first time that I write anything in english. Also, I usually like to put video game references or quotes from them, but only if I see that they can fit appropriately, so don't freak out if you see something familiar.

(And in my opinion that quote from Life is Strange totally fits if you think about Raven being a criminal and Summer being always there for her, even in death)

* * *

The broken moon bathed the forest with her dim light, a calm silence reigned that night, only to be interrupted by the sound of her footsteps as she walked among the old trees. But even that idyllic landscape had some flaws, the spawns of madness lurked in the shadows, crawling, searching for their victims, there was no safe haven, not even in the Island of Patch.

It had been long since her last visit, and when her gaze settled on the stone rose, her heart was filled with a painful sadness. Raven removed her helmet, and hesitated for a moment before sitting on the ground. "Hello… Summer." In front of her, the tombstone of Summer Rose, resting on a cliff's edge.

"I wanted to come visit sooner but the life of a bandit leader ain't easy you know…" A nervous chuckle escaped from her mouth. "I…" She sighed with resignation, she could not mask her feelings any longer. "I'm sorry for lying, I'm just too nervous… and too drunk." Beside her, a half-empty bottle of a dark beverage. "I know you never liked alcohol but… look, it has green fairy on it! I brought it because you told me fairies were cute…" She raised the bottle of black absinthe, showing the drawing of a green fairy to the tombstone. "I managed to steal this cutie before leaving Signal, it tastes like crap and it's like swallowing hell's flames, but it gives quite the kick, just what I need."

The waves crashed deep below the cliff as Raven gazed upon the horizon, the views from there were astounding. "Everything has gone to hell Summer." Finally said. "I wish you were here to tell me what to do, you always knew what to say…" She brought the bottle near her lips, the stench of the absinthe made her wrinkle her nose. "But you aren't…" The venomous drink entered her body, burning her throat like a living flame. "Hell… no wonder why they kept this hidden." The huntress smirked, even the strongest brewage couldn't take her out easily.

That night the stars were shining in the sky, keeping company to the shattered moon, the huntress looked up with a bitter smile drawn on her face. "I remember the day I left, you tried to stop me, you cried while holding my hand trying to pull me back home… but I didn't… I…" The absinthe went down her mouth again, she needed to kill the pain. "I didn't listen…" The tears slid down her reddened cheeks. "If only I had stayed… you…" She whispered with a broken voice. "You would be alive…" Her vision blurred as she started crying uncontrollably. "I could have been the mother Yang deserves… I…" For ten tears dried twenty more would appear, the cloth of her gauntlet was already soaked. "…Tai wouldn't have suffered…"

The living black flame seared her throat once again, the bottle was almost empty. "Summer… everything is falling apart around me… since I murdered that girl… but what could I do? She… wasn't meant for this world, it was the only way to protect her… to protect my tribe, I had to Summer, I had to do it because no one else would spare her from the cruel fate of being tortured by Salem…" Her red eyes glowed, the anger and hatred burned her soul as the absinthe burned her lungs. "And now I'm the stupid Spring Maiden… this power is a curse… that madman, everything is his fault, they use us as toys on their playground… AND EVERYONE IS TOO BLIND TO SEE IT!" Her voice echoed through the forest, waking the clouds from their slumber as her temper made the power she held within escape her control.

In the forest, nobody could hear her screams, nobody could ease her suffering, and nobody could soothe her anger nor hatred. She was alone. "I… betrayed Qrow... and Yang." The last drops of alcohol dropped inside her mouth. "Salem found my tribe, she had a new pet… the Fall Maiden was on her side, I did what it had to be done to ensure the survival of the tribe Summer, even if that meant changing sides… because… deep inside I trust them, Yang is strong, and Qrow is… well…" She smiled vaguely. "But I fucked up everything… I managed to kill the Fall Maiden but when I thought I was free my own daughter lectured me, and she won the argument… I couldn't be more proud of her…"

The madness that lurked within the forest was eager to take innocent lives, and a Maiden in distress was the perfect prey, like a lighthouse brightly shining in the middle of the dark night. The soft grass that surrounded the gravestone danced with the slight breeze of the ocean, Raven sighed as she laid down, unaware of what was coming her way. "…I ran away from everything…" She whispered while closing her eyes, but the tears kept falling. "I came to Signal to gather my thoughts, I tried to face Tai but I couldn't… I trusted old friends only to be betrayed…" She smirked bitterly. "I'm like a wounded animal who came to die to the forest." The green fairy's poison began to numb her mind. "Or I least feel like I'm dying, poisoned by the booze made by fairies… and you said they were cute… they're just… evil as fuck…" Even being submerged in a sea of agony, her acid humor was always there, a form of self-defense to overcome the pain.

A terrifying silence took over the forest, the calm before the storm as shadows came closer and the venom infected her thoughts. She felt haunted by the lives she had loved and actions she had hated, haunted by the promises she had made and others she had broken, a web of remorse woven inside her brain to suffocate her happiness. "You were my partner in time… and I was your partner in crime." She opened her eyes as her left hand gently touched the cold stone rose. "I'll always love you Summer, I'll always need you… and I will always miss you…" She curled up, sobbing.

Soulless creatures born from hate surrounded the lonely maiden, eager to feast on her overwhelming pain, they growled and howled as they circled their prey. Raven opened her eyes again, her senses were numbed by the green fairy's touch, and when she turned her gaze it was too late to run, thousands of Grimm were behind glaring at her with their bright red eyes. "Damn brainless pests… you shouldn't piss off someone who has nothing to lose…" She mumbled, trying to stand up, but her body felt slow and heavy.

One of them wanting to be the first to devour the victim recklessly attacked, only to be obliterated with a swing of the sharp blade. The rest, seeing his comrade fall in battle howled as they charged all at once against the huntress, for one killed three more would appear, an endless horde crawling from the depths of the abyss that soon overwhelmed the maiden, burying her under a mountain of darkness and hate.

When everything seemed to have ended, Raven resurged from the depths of madness, throwing down the cliff all the Grimm that where crushing her. "BACK OFF!" Her eyes lit with a fiery red fire as she screamed. The storm clouds gathered covering the skies, answering to the Spring Maiden's call with their rumbling.

But the mindless beasts ignored her warning, and charged one last time. "I WONT LET YOU TOUCH HER!" Rage lashed through her body as she raised her hand, unleashing a fierce storm upon the Island of Patch, freezing every single Grimm standing in front of her.

Raven fell to ground exhausted, the storm raged above her as the rain bathed her body, she kept looking at the stone rose with a faint smile on her face until her consciousness finally vanished away, leaving the huntress laying next to the friend she had failed to protect.


End file.
